1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental prosthesis and method for mounting same on the anterior incisors of cattle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for bovine dental crown devices have been designed in the past. None of them, however, include a metallic overdenture prosthesis that is fastened to the anterior incisors, as a group, to prevent individual movement of the teeth but substantially preserves the natural movement of the animal's mastication process. The bonding action of resins is enhanced with a mechanical fastening infrastructure with strategically located anchorage into and by (between) the animals teeth to ensure the long-term operability of the dental prosthesis.
The problem with wear and tear of bovine teeth has been widely documented. In particular the incisors (front teeth) wear out by the animal's constant mastication resulting in incisors defining a worn out plane that approaches its gum. Eventually, the animal cannot feed itself and perishes prematurely. Many attempts to solve the problem have achieved partial and temporary success, at most. For a description of the problem in this field, one of the related references succinctly summarizes it. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,838 (Lukase) at Col. 1, lines 10-50. Lukase's overdenture procedure and device, as others before him, uses a polymer with additives that bond to the mandibular teeth. However, the bonds wear off in relatively short periods of time, if they do not fall off before they wear out also. As in Lukase's patent, the present invention immobilizes all the teeth, as a group. However, the present invention also uses a metal ferrule and an overdenture prosthesis (made out of semi-malleable steel or other hard malleable metal) is bonded to interconnected anchorage screws mounted on the animal's teeth themselves. And the teeth are tied with wire to immobilize them and not merely rely on the bonding resin customarily used. Lastly, transversal fastening members are used to enhance the engagement provided by the bonding resin, which inevitably loosens with the stress/relaxation action of normal and continuous mastication. These novel and none obvious structural features make the present prosthesis superior to Lakase's patent and other references in the state of the art.
Other documents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.